how do i know if my childcare provider is overcharging me?

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how do i know if my childcare provider is overcharging me?

ste07qke

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Posted on 21-06-2010 at 6.00PM

hi can anyone help me i have trailed through internet sites to find the answer to my question but am yet to find one.
the nursery where i send my nearly 3 year old have said she is entitled to one weeks holiday where we dont have to pay, also they charge us for bank holidays we even had to pay for her place for xmas day even though she obviously wasnt there.
as my daughters days always fall on a bank holiday and the nursery is closed should i still have to pay?
we seem to get the rough end and still dont understand that if the nursery isnt open, and if it was we would send her, should we be charged?
are there any rules to what they can charge?
would really love some help with this xxxx

hi can anyone help me i have trailed through internet sites to find the answer to my question but am yet to find one.

the nursery where i send my nearly 3 year old have said she is entitled to one weeks holiday where we dont have to pay, also they charge us for bank holidays we even had to pay for her place for xmas day even though she obviously wasnt there.as my daughters days always fall on a bank holiday and the nursery is closed should i still have to pay?

we seem to get the rough end and still dont understand that if the nursery isnt open, and if it was we would send her, should we be charged?

are there any rules to what they can charge?

would really love some help with this xxxx

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Mollie B(2)

Posted on 21-06-2010 at 6.02PM

If you have signed to say that you agree with the nurseries policies, procedures and payment rules which I presume you did when you started, then you will have to pay.
Personally, I don't agree with paying when the nursery is closed, ours doesn't charge, but it is up to individual providers

If you have signed to say that you agree with the nurseries policies, procedures and payment rules which I presume you did when you started, then you will have to pay. Personally, I don't agree with paying when the nursery is closed, ours doesn't charge, but it is up to individual providers

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Sandra G(4)

Posted on 21-06-2010 at 6.19PM

It all depends on the contract you signed with the provider.
At the end of the day, permanent staff will get paid on a monthly basis, irrespective of whether there were bank holidays in the month. Those costs have to be covered. If parents attending on those days aren't charged, overall charges will have to go up anyway to cover the costs.

It all depends on the contract you signed with the provider.

At the end of the day, permanent staff will get paid on a monthly basis, irrespective of whether there were bank holidays in the month. Those costs have to be covered. If parents attending on those days aren't charged, overall charges will have to go up anyway to cover the costs.

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Pop33iwd

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Posted on 21-06-2010 at 6.25PM

The nursery that my boys attended was really good about bank holidays - they were always on his days!! They would give you the option of choosing another day instead which i thought was really fair

The nursery that my boys attended was really good about bank holidays - they were always on his days!! They would give you the option of choosing another day instead which i thought was really fair

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ste07qke

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Posted on 22-06-2010 at 3.32PM

thanks ladies for the help i understand that if i signed a contract then i would have to put up with it but i work in retail so when we close foe xmas my boss has to pay us as we are physically unable to come to work it somthing he has to swallow but we dont charge the customers for the fact that we r closed so in actual fact isnt this what the nursery doing charging for a service we physically cant use its not our choice xxxx:dunno :

thanks ladies for the help i understand that if i signed a contract then i would have to put up with it but i work in retail so when we close foe xmas my boss has to pay us as we are physically unable to come to work it somthing he has to swallow but we dont charge the customers for the fact that we r closed so in actual fact isnt this what the nursery doing charging for a service we physically cant use its not our choice xxxx:dunno[1]:

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Julie S(56)

Posted on 22-06-2010 at 4.23PM

when my daughters' nursery was closed earlier this year we were unsure if we would still have to pay. As they pointed out, the staff still needed to be paid- fair enough!
Then a couple of months ago we all received an addendum to the contract we signed stating ' if the nursery is unavoidably closed (such as snow, flood etc) we still have to pay, but say it was closed due to refurb work etc we would not be charged.

when my daughters' nursery was closed earlier this year we were unsure if we would still have to pay. As they pointed out, the staff still needed to be paid- fair enough!Then a couple of months ago we all received an addendum to the contract we signed stating ' if the nursery is unavoidably closed (such as snow, flood etc) we still have to pay, but say it was closed due to refurb work etc we would not be charged.

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Sandra G(4)

Posted on 22-06-2010 at 4.38PM

Well actually you do. The price of the products you sell includes a markup for the costs of distribution which includes the salary you get paid on bank holidays.

thanks ladies for the help i understand that if i signed a contract then i would have to put up with it but i work in retail so when we close foe xmas my boss has to pay us as we are physically unable to come to work it somthing he has to swallow but we dont charge the customers for the fact that we r closed so in actual fact isnt this what the nursery doing charging for a service we physically cant use its not our choice xxxx:dunno[1]:

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Well actually you do. The price of the products you sell includes a markup for the costs of distribution which includes the salary you get paid on bank holidays.

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Zul86mm

Posted on 22-06-2010 at 5.01PM

My DD nursery does not charge us for Bank Holidays or the week that they are closed at Christmas. I assume thier hourly rate accommodated for this and I would say that unless your provider is charging a cheaper rate than others in your area that you are being treated unfairly.
My advice would be to call a couple of other providers and ask them what their hourly rates are and whether they charge for the same breaks and then compare it across the board on a yearly rate.
As for the closures I think it extremely unfair for a nursery to charge you for days when THEY say they cannot open, especially if it is possible for you to still get to work. We suffered a little with the snow earlier this year and had limited staff at the nursery but then that was counteracted by less children too. I personally don't think it reasonable for a nursery to close because some staff couldn't get to work. If parents can get their children there it's obviously possible for some staff to do the same.
Would they have still charged you if you said you wouldn't be able to get your child to the nursery using the same excuse? The answer would no doubt have been &#034;yes because we are still available to work&#034; - well you were available to get your child to them. Same difference.

My DD nursery does not charge us for Bank Holidays or the week that they are closed at Christmas. I assume thier hourly rate accommodated for this and I would say that unless your provider is charging a cheaper rate than others in your area that you are being treated unfairly.

My advice would be to call a couple of other providers and ask them what their hourly rates are and whether they charge for the same breaks and then compare it across the board on a yearly rate.

As for the closures I think it extremely unfair for a nursery to charge you for days when THEY say they cannot open, especially if it is possible for you to still get to work. We suffered a little with the snow earlier this year and had limited staff at the nursery but then that was counteracted by less children too. I personally don't think it reasonable for a nursery to close because some staff couldn't get to work. If parents can get their children there it's obviously possible for some staff to do the same.

Would they have still charged you if you said you wouldn't be able to get your child to the nursery using the same excuse? The answer would no doubt have been "yes because we are still available to work" - well you were available to get your child to them. Same difference.